New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-27
crrr.rL 1NLrY 1ND Isl lNLNM

| 49,, - 81, I.loriiern which Canon Isaac
,.,. ,,1 p, tho English Church Con"rcsS,
,,r lcrJ 81, Wolvcrhampton. j. the talk OF
ia. hour amorg ln-lish churchmch. N'"''-
ctt.r ,l-r,,s the Caron said that lslain'm J.
NOR, successful than Christianity IN very ''s
,.-, ~ ti,o world Nn~lem converts rom i"-"iiN',
AN, mon, uumcfou, ilan Christian converts anu
+ IN some REGIONS Christianity Is "rin"lN r''"'"|
/ = ,... tf,,,,.,n 4. for tho nations which haN"
olo,,J a.. No.lcn fai'h. il t. almost useless u"
g., ,o t1,r;,,iar-lc thom. Moreover. in INDIA
- ,.,:.,.,i,v seems 10 Ic making som"
bcnAynv AGAINST Hinduism, II is really Only
r,e. orinr the rcoplc for Isamisn, which seems
destined 10 hc tho prevailing religion ot that great
/ ,o,,,r, In Africa uilc which once accepts
h H.. N.~I.,n faith never rrNcriS Ia paSnnsn anu
( meyer ,mhrnoc. Christianity. Canon laNl"r as"
SAWS that there is good reason IN ID" nature 81
thin,,s flr these facts Christianity - too lo'tN'
too spiritual and Icrhais too m'tap'Nsl'" 'o'
nariarous or semi hnrharous races 10 apprcc"t" or
/ ,.,,.rf.hruI l.inmiem ON the other hand $ so
material and concrete in lis structure that su'h
r.ce. readily accept IT, NOT only Is the moral '"l'
81 lslamism accc'icd in theory 10y these r"''N
hr, in practice as well In fact il nj ON" Ii'N
,,.,, nm ~ a corauararivcly high plane Of morality
Christianity fails t. do this. and therefore 'le
llod Canon concludes that lslami>m has done
/ d
or can do
These are startling statements Ia come from
d;,,n;tar, II tie English Church. hut that they
,,vc some basis of truth cannot he wholly
d,n,od I'm one view IL is comp imcntary To
Christianity 10 say Of il that II N too LOFTY
IN find "A ready acceptance among barbarouS races
Al the same time. such view Of Christianity
would. il acccl ted. cfcctually cut the nerve oil
FOREIGN missions For why should the churches
waste their money in trying To convert lc"p"
who moi merely will not but cannot, understand
or accent Christianity? More than that, why
should they not actually contribut" money for the
urnpo,qitlou of lslnm>n which IN the words OF
Canon TAYLOR causes the negro tribes oil
AREA 10 rcnouncc lagnnism. devil worship
tcticAsm nibalisn, human Sacrifice inianti-
eide witchcrnrt. gambling. drunkenness, unc'mSti-
=, cruclty and filth? In fact, Canon Taylor
clearly intmatcs that it would be wise Tor the
church 10 recognize Islamsm We ought to
BEGIN" he says, "by recognizing the fact that
Islam is not an anti Christian faith. but IL half
Christian laith-an imperfect Christianity. Islam
is II rrpica of tie faith of Abraham and Moses,
with Christian elements. Though the teaching
Of Nahomct falls gricyously short of the teaching
Of ~, Paul there is nothing in it antagonistic 10
Christianity. . The higher Christian virtues
humility, purity of heart, forgiveness Of injuries.
sacrifice OF sclf-thcsc are not the virtues OF
Islam. The Christian ideal is unintclligiblc Ia
sava.,cs, but the lower virtues which Islam ncul-
cntcs the lower races can he brought 10 under
stand-tcmpcrancc. cleanliness. chastity justice,
fortitudc, courage hcncvOcnG, hospitality. We
rncity and resignation"
There is, however, one point that may he made
against the Canons argument. Even i'll the most
Intelligent Chrstirn nat ions the higher virtues OF
Christianity only vaguely understood, ana
not generally practiscd while the lower virtues
which IslnmiSm enlorccs understood and gen
orally practiscd The same reasoning, therefore,
which proves Islamsm best for barbarous races
would also in "A measure prove IL hest for CIVILIZED
ones. Is Canon Taylor prepared TO advocate the
introduction OF the Moplem religion i'll England
because that nation has failed fully 10 grasp the
higher ideals of ChristnnityP